Making our minds up: which city will host Eurovision 2019?

Posted
17 July 2018 at 17:45 CEST

While Europe is enjoying summer, the Host City bid process for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest is in full swing. As bids from several cities come in, Israeli broadcaster KAN and the EBU are working closely together to choose the perfect location for the 64th Eurovision Song Contest.

But what does it take for a city to become the host? As the decision-making process is going on behind the scenes at this very moment, we dive into a few criteria that a city has to meet in order to be the lucky one.

One of the most crucial decisions

The Eurovision Song Contest is a major logistical operation, not in the last place because of the amount of people that travels to the Host City. This requires a well-connected international airport in its vicinity and several thousands of hotel rooms in different price categories.

To accommodate for the shows, a venue that can welcome more than 10,000 spectators and hundreds of delegates simultaneously is of paramount importance. In close proximity, facilities for press should be able to host around 1,500 journalists from all around the globe.

In 2017, we already spoke with Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand about the importance of picking the best possible Host City: "Choosing a Host City is one of the most crucial decisions to take when it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest. And it has to be prepared very thoroughly. Everything has to be scrutinised, it is not only talking to the city once or twice, you need sit down and negotiate down to the smallest detail."

Turn-key stadium or old shipyard

In recent years, Host City bids have taken place in Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Ukraine and Portugal.

After Sweden's victory in 2012, Stockholm lost the competition as hot favourite to host the contest to Malmö. After Sweden's second victory within a decade, Stockholm finally got to host the 2016 contest, just like they did in 2000, in the Globe Arena, a turn-key concert stadium ready to deliver.

In 2014, Copenhagen won the bid process with a daring bid to host the contest in an old shipyard.

Two years ago, organisers faced a challenging situation in Ukraine, as no suitable venue appeared to be available at first. After an exciting bid process, Ukraine's capital Kyiv finally convinced organisers to turn the International Exhibition Centre into a capable television studio.

One thing is for sure: the Host City gets a massive boost

As said earlier, hosting the Eurovision Song Contest is a major logistical operation. Nevertheless, it brings in thousands of people from abroad and generates significant revenue to the local economy. Moreover, it gives the Host City an opportunity to show itself to an audience of some 200 million people who tune in for the three live shows.

"Hosting the Eurovision Song Contest gives great benefits for the city. It creates a lot of attention around the city's name all over the world. It gives the country and city the possibility to show what it can offer tourists," Jon Ola Sand concluded.

Which city do you believe should host the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest? Let us know in the comments!

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The Eurovision Song Contest is organized by the
European Broadcasting Union,
the world's foremost alliance of public service media, representing 117 member organizations in
56 countries and an additional 34 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas.

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